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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fine — high quality
  4. spell — letters
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rash — a series
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stem — to come from
  21. spell — magic
  22. fine — all right
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com